


Prince Turtleduck Does His Duty

by deutschistklasse



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crack, Fluff and Humor, Gen, POV Alternating, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zuko is literally a turtleduck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:08:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 13,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22532986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deutschistklasse/pseuds/deutschistklasse
Summary: Agni was done with just watching and never interfering. He was taking Zuko's and the Fire Nation's destiny in his hands. - Or the AU where the Gaang adopts an opinionated little turtleduck.
Comments: 591
Kudos: 1710
Collections: Astral_Phoenix108's Library, Fics to forget reality, It’s 2 a.m. and I’m gonna read it again (cuz once wasn’t enough), avatar tingz





	1. Agni and his turtleduckling

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MuffinLance](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MuffinLance/gifts), [Carolofthebell](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carolofthebell/gifts).



> I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or the idea of the Swan Princess AU, it's Carolofthebells. And again, I blame MuffinLance's tumblr, where I found the prompt.

Agni was a truly indulgent spirit. He saw the fiery humans as they were, their hearts, their minds, their deepest fears, and thought that they were magnificent in their imperfection. They were all his dear children, who were making great mistakes but they weren’t really evil. Except for this one. This Fire Lord was the embodiment of darkness, not a sliver of light in his entire being. 

Agni was losing his patience quickly since Ozai became Fire Lord. He watched him sacrifice his family on the altar of his madness. He watched him kill his father, usurp upon Iroh’s rights, chase away his wife, mold his daughter into his exact replica, and abuse his son without a second thought. He watched him and grew disgusted with him, but he wasn’t punishing him yet. He was his child and he was free to act and to make mistakes like everyone else. 

Agni was proud beyond belief. His favorite child, Zuko, was so full of love and care, he was so full of light despite his upbringing. It demanded so much courage to stand up for these soldiers, for his country really. What a pity that the generals and the so-called Fire Lord weren’t seeing this little prince for what he was: their savior, their guide, the one who could lead their nation back to real glory. Once he had high hopes for Iroh, but he wasn't challenging his sibling's rule, he wasn't taking responsibility for his people. The Sun Spirit understood him and his shame too.

Agni was more than angry, he was ready to crush everyone, to take firebending back, to just cancel the sunrise… But no. His people weren’t vicious, they just feared their Fire Lord more than they feared him. In any case, this time he wasn’t just watching passively as he did with the Air Nomads. Ah, yes, this was the one thing he would always regret, it was his greatest shame, but he would guide his children back to the right path through Zuko. When Ozai put his flaming hand to his son’s trembling cheek, he interfered. His blaze temporarily blinded the crowd while he transformed the young prince and took him away. Yes, he always liked turtleducks, no, he wasn’t regretting it. His favorite was kind of cute like this. Anyway, he would retransform him at the right time.

Agni watched as his little injured turtleduckling found a home in the palace’s pond garden. Nobody seemed to notice or to care that there was a scarred chick among the waterfowl. He watched him first being disoriented and fearful, but then he learned how to take care of himself, how to be more assertive, louder, braver. He never gave up without a fight, except when Azula or Ozai came to the pond. Then he hid in a cove, never moving, seemingly not even breathing. 

When one night Iroh escaped from the army and disappeared in the Earth Kingdom, Agni knew it was time to wake the Avatar up. Only he and his chosen could restore now the balance of the four nations. After the Avatar and his friends arrived on the Fire Islands he visited his protegee and guided him to them. He made sure that Zuko knew what his duty was: help the Avatar in his mission with everything he got. He wasn’t disappointed.

His laughing eyes took his fiery humans in, their hearts, their minds, their hopes and he thought that they were amazing in their imperfection. Especially this one. This Fire Lord was the embodiment of light, even with the little slivers of darkness in him. Agni knew he made the right choice. And if he made a little victory dance nobody was there to judge him.


	2. The Prince earns his place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prince Turtleduck arrives and wins. Aang adopts, the girls coo and Sokka contemplates murder.

Aang heard the racket from afar: Sokka’s wails, Katara’s shrieks, Toph’s howls. He was rushing to the camp, fearing the worst. What happened? Did the Fire Nation attack? However, before he got there all noise ceased. He sped up. Were his friends even alive?!

Bursting in the clearing he saw Toph collapsing to the ground and convulsing with laughter, Sokka in tears nursing his backside and Katara dripping wet with Appa’s saliva. In front of her in a puddle of drool lay a turtleduck’s shell. She seemed to be just as shocked as Aang was.

Before he could ask her the meaning of that ruckus Katara shuddered in disgust and ran to the nearby river diving in, Toph was hysterical and couldn’t get out a single word and Sokka… was useless too. He moaned something about enemy birds and turtleducks from hell, then wobbled away to pester Katara about healing him. Aang was disappointed. He wanted in the fun too!

The distant bickering and Toph’s quieter laughter drew the turtleduck out of his shell. He was a juvenile bird with a longer plume on his head and a tiny burn on his left cheek. He was a very handsome duck with an almost royal posture. Aang fell in love right away. 

By the time Katara and Sokka arrived back, he and Toph were feeding the little animal. To Aang’s indignation, they both wanted to kill The Prince! No, he won’t let them eat him, he doesn’t care that they wanted meat. It isn’t true, they weren’t starving and Sokka can hunt, so there! Aang understood Sokka, he was a meat addict, but Katara’s betrayal hurt.

The turtleduck was eyeing the siblings with suspicion. Aang could relate to it. He didn’t trust that glint in Sokka’s eyes. And was that jealousy on Katara’s face? The Prince was for the moment in Toph’s lap who lavished him with gentle strokes. Aang tried beforehand to hug him, but the young bird was having none of it. 

Then Katara decided she wanted to pet the turtleduckling as well. If they weren’t having him as dinner, then she wanted to hold The Prince too. Aang had his doubts, but this was his forever girl, he couldn’t remain cross with her. In a short time, Katara was cooing softly and cuddling the bird. Aang wanted duck cuddles too! Why could the girls mother it and he not? It wasn’t fair!

At dinner time Sokka had a tantrum. Aang wasn’t sure but it seemed he was arguing with the turtleduck. He called The Prince some very ugly names, like Hellbird, Pate, Duck Soup, or Roast Meat and the bird was protesting loudly and firmly. When Sokka leaned in menacingly the duckling attached himself to his nose scratching his face up in the process. For Sokka this meant war but it seemed that he was losing rapidly. Toph was rapidly dissolving into a puddle of howling laughter and Katara was determined to stay out of it smothering up her giggles. Aang contemplated for a moment Sokka’s rescue but then he just sat back and tried to come up with a way to separate the two without serious harm to them and himself. 

Appa was the one who put a stop to the fight. He huffed in irritation at the now slobbery opponents daring them to continue. They didn’t. Aang had a eureka moment. So this happened in the morning! Appa was such a good boy, he broke up two brawls in a single day. Aang was so proud of him. 

Sokka was rubbing his nose and muttering under his breath but he wasn’t attacking anymore. The Prince waddled back regally and received Aang’s and the girls' congratulations magnanimously. That night the young bird nestled in Appa’s hair next to Aang demanding to be pampered. This time the worries didn't keep him awake. He kept petting the turtleduck till they both fell into a slumber.


	3. Turtleduck to the party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Prince Turtleduck cheats on tests and fights some more. And maybe dances?

Aang didn’t want to get into trouble but how should he have known that this was a school uniform? Fortunately, he wasn’t alone, he had Momo and The Prince still with him. He hid the lemur in his shirt and the turtleduck in his sleeve while the guards marched him to school.

Those schoolchildren were really cool. He hadn’t played hide and explode since forever. And they were laughing at his jokes and seemed to appreciate his very being even if the teacher thought of him as a slob. They helped him with the salute and The Prince helped him with his test. The little bird thrust his tiny head out of Aang’s sleeve and pecked at his hand, quacked softly, or bobbed his head depending on the answers he picked. 

It was all going great until Hide decided he wanted to teach Aang a lesson. Of course, The Prince took offense. Aang even closed his eyes for a moment, it was so painful to watch. He wasn’t sure his classmate would be able to sit for a week. Then Momo peeked out of his shirt, saw the skirmish, and joined in. Ouch, he hoped Hide’s hair will grow back fast. 

The parent-teacher conference was a letdown. The coal mines?! For what? He wasn’t really fighting, that was all The Prince and Momo! And what was that about disrupting the class, it wasn’t his fault the history books were obviously false and the music teacher didn’t understand the purpose of music. It was to move to the rhythm! Freely! Speaking of dancing, he was so going to throw a party for the Fire Nation kids. 

He saw Katara out of the corner of his eyes. She was brimming with excitement, ready to stand up and dance. With another glance, he found the others too. Toph was grinning somewhat maniacally, and Sokka and The Prince appeared to be… dancing? There were some acrobatics and twisting moves on Sokka’s part and giant leaps and spins from the turtleduck, occasionally even break-dancing moves from both. Brilliant! They were enjoying the party too!

After all of the children were moving to the music he invited Katara to dance, and she accepted. Aang was so glad, he wanted to fly. And she danced so beautifully. Sadly the party was disturbed by the Headmaster and some soldiers. The Prince attacked the guards till all the students could put on headbands similar to his. They all helped them escape. If Toph ears were trustworthy (and they totally were) the kids continued to party. Yes, they now tasted freedom and they were fighting for it in their own way. Aang was honored to know them.

So they were on the move again. Aang hoped they would find a place where they could remain at least for more than two-three days. He enjoyed being among people, especially kids his age. Those few days in the school were the best. He wanted back, he wanted to feel like a normal kid again. His thoughts were interrupted by a cranky turtleduck who pecked at him none too gently. It seemed he was tired of Aang’s brooding and wanted attention. Aang chuckled. He sure was lucky to have him as a companion.


	4. Spirits help us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Painted Lady and a wild Turtleduck Spirit appears and a factory is demolished.

„Hey, Duck Soup! Roast Meat! Hellbird!... Argh, stop ignoring me!”

„I know that you’re faking, I heard Katara talking to Appa and to you.”

„Your innocent blinking has no effect on me, I know you. You’re loud and vicious and an absolutely sneaky bastard. No way that the pollution would make you this ill or this lethargic. And… I need your help.”

„Don’t hide back in your shell, I won’t let you!... Oh, please! I propose a truce! A truce!”

„You are disturbingly competent, so I need you to follow Katara tonight and to help her if she runs into trouble. I spoke to Toph, we would send you in disguise.”

„Thank you.”

\----------------------------

Katara was beginning to feel paranoid. For two days she felt on her back that somebody was always watching her, following her, but every time she glanced back she never saw anybody. She even searched her surroundings for a while, but nothing. Could it be that she was hallucinating from the stress? Helping the sick and starving villagers in the night and her friends in the day made her tired and overfraught, but she would never turn her back on those who needed her help. Even if those people were Fire Nation, hurt by the Fire Nation. Maybe she should find this ironic, but she wasn’t Sokka.

Aang was following her. Could it have been the young Airbender the other nights? She didn’t think so, but who else could have been silent and light-footed enough? Toph or Sokka? Katara snorted. Toph would be abrasive, proud of her skills of tracking her and would challenge her to a fight, consequences be damned, and Sokka was Sokka. He couldn’t be so elusive even if he wanted to. Still, it wasn’t the same feeling she had before, this time her follower was loud and cheery and too inquisitive. 

So Aang wanted to help. She was glad she didn’t need to fight alone for this village anymore. The factory that polluted the river was looming before them in the moonlight. It was like a monster, eating away the health of its surroundings. The water, the animals, the people were all sick and weak. They needed a hero who saved them from the beast. As Aang’s waterbending master, an enemy of the Fire Nation, Katara couldn’t become that hero, but the Painted Lady, a beloved Fire Nation spirit could and should get ride of the factory. She was determined to do all she could for them.

They weren’t prepared for this. The factory was somehow thoroughly wrecked. With most of the screws loosened or missing, little holes drilled in the barrels, lines cut, and the pipes broken, steaming, she and Aang were just overturning the bigger hanging barrels or cutting the metal hooks. On one of the shelves, Katara saw a shadow moving. In the dim light, she could barely take out the form of the thing. She recoiled hard: it was a turtleduck-shaped, black something with sharp spikes on its shell and a fanged-horned helmet on its head, its wings ending in two knives. Before Katara could have reacted, it disappeared without a trace. Katara was shocked but they had to move, so she flooded the factory, then they were out and fleeing. 

Sugargrumps was hissing at the villagers admonishing her whilst Sokka tried to guilt them into gratitude. Her brother and Aang’s adorable spitfire turtleduck wanted to defend her, but Katara felt undeserving of it. She knew that she lied and that she needed to explain it to these people. Yes, she was a Waterbender, and they chased away the soldiers, but the problem of the polluted water, the sick animals and people remained. Katara wanted to make them understand, Painted Lady or not, they could do something for themselves, they weren’t really helpless. 

Later in Appa’s saddle Katara’s thoughts turned to the Painted Lady and the spiky Turtleduck Spirit. Would she see them again? She hoped they were satisfied with the results. Meanwhile, her hands stroked Sugargrumps’ (not The Prince, what name is that) little head, the turtleduck napping contentedly in her lap.


	5. Master Turtleduck waits for you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka earns a sword and a new master to train with.

Sokka’s thoughts were racing. Could he really learn in a few days how to handle a sword? He knew that he was tenacious and intelligent, and Master Piandao must have seen some potential in him, but sometimes he was doubting himself.

At least he had a chance now to be special too. The boomerang was great, but more often than not he was treated as a joke. However, with a sword he could do more to help his friends in fights or in their save-this-town escapades. That feeling of incompetence, of uselessness from the night before begun to recede a bit.

Also when he made his own sword and learned all he could… that nightmare of a turtleduck won’t be able to win against him repeatedly. That hurt, losing again and again to Hellbird (he was refusing to call him The Prince, that bird was more demonic than princely). With sweet daydreams about winning their fights he prepared to go to bed. But he was so excited, he couldn’t sleep.

He was staring at nothing when he saw his bag moving and a shadow emerging from it. His scream wasn’t loud enough to wake everybody, nope. And it was very manly, yes, he just exercised his manly battle-cry.

He lit a candle with dread. It couldn’t be what he thought it is, right? No, no, it must have been a rabbit-mouse, just a little rodent searching for food.

…Then again he must be the most unlucky person in the whole world. His arch-enemy was standing before him, a smug grin on his beak. Sokka hung his head in defeat. It seemed he couldn’t escape from Hellbird, that tiny ball of spite was hell-bent on ruining his plans.

Surprisingly he wasn’t attacking Sokka on sight. Aang’s hot-tempered pet dragged a piece of paper over to him, then disappeared in his bag, searching for something. After a few moments, he returned with a brush. Next, he pushed a tray of ink closer, blinking imperiously at Sokka. Was he trying to make him practice calligraphy in the middle of the night? No way!

Hellbird ruffled his feathers in annoyance, making Sokka nervous. So to avoid a turtleduck to the face, he dipped the brush in the ink and wrote his name. Again and again, maybe for one hour. Every time he took a break, Hellbird pecked his fingers. Oh, how he hated that bird.

Then that turtleduck from hell dragged forth his wooden sword, biting and scratching his ankles when his footwork proved to be inadequate. It was cruel and unjust, but he didn’t dare to complain. Not when he wanted to sleep that night. Or the following nights. Hellbird was really inventive and spiteful, he could and would make his life much worse.

The next day Aang’s turtleduck accompanied him to Master Piandao’s workshop. He watched silently as Sokka weighted the materials to his sword and even quacked with approval when Sokka refused them and wanted to bring a meteorite back. On the way back to his master, Hellbird waddled smugly before them. Sokka begun to feel jittery, that bird was plotting something.

To Sokka’s astonishment, after his fight with Master Piandao the turtleduck bobbed his tiny head at him. Had he earned the bird’s respect? Sokka was ashamed to think of how it filled him with pride and relief. Maybe their truce could last.

If he thought he could have peace from now on he was sadly mistaken. That night Hellbird pushed his freshly forged sword to his legs quacking at him impatiently. Sokka resigned himself to his fate and trained with his new master. Oh, how he loathed that bird. But on the bright side his footwork was improving rapidly.


	6. You are safe in my wings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Turtleducks are good for comfort and keeping dreams safe from monsters.

Aang wasn’t jealous. Not a bit. The Prince could cuddle with whom he wanted, he would accept it gracefully. He wouldn’t pout, he wouldn’t be sad or grumpy. He was better than that. He was the Avatar, he was an Air Nomad, he was above these earthly attachments. …Or not.

Aang sulked. He understood that Toph needed The Prince after her misadventure in swindling the not so innocent Fire Nation citizens or that Katara felt guilty and disappointed in herself after Hama’s lessons and needed the moral support, but he was the first to adopt the young turtleduck! He had dibs on him! He wanted time with him too! 

Especially now, when he wasn’t going to sleep until after the invasion. He had really weird nightmares and hallucinations, some of them included even a long lost prince of the Fire Nation. So Aang sat down and tried to remain awake, thinking about anything and everything in the last few weeks.

He thought back on Toph’s schemes in that town with the scam artist. The Prince disapproved of them, he tried to pull all of them back, and after Toph had gone through with her plan, he refused to be near her or her accomplices. After Sokka bought Hawky he treated everybody except Katara as persona non grata. And when Katara and Toph teamed up in the ultimate scam, The Prince disappeared. It was very alarming.

Fortunately The Prince was close when that crazy assassin trapped the girls and attacked Aang and Sokka. He scratched and bit the assassin on the face, ankle, and behind, he assaulted him between the legs and in general made himself a very annoying and effective opponent. They won with the help of the girls. That night The Prince cuddled up with Toph. Aang knew they all were if not forgiven, but out of the danger of The Prince taking revenge on them.

Afterwards they tried to avoid towns and villages fearing an encounter with Combustion Man again, but they weren’t careful enough and met another monster instead. Hama seemed nice and caring, but The Prince was really upset from the beginning. Aang could have sworn he saw hate in the turtleduck’s eyes. All of them knew from the first moment with her that something wasn’t right, but they repressed their doubts. But not The Prince. He tried to steer them away from her inn, even wrecked the rooms, but they persisted in their foolishness. Maybe waterfowl instincts were worth following in the future.

When Hama made puppets out of them, The Prince seemed ready to kill or maim. Aang never saw his turtleduckling so disgruntled or agitated. Unfortunately, Hama was better than the feisty little turtleduck. They needed Katara to save them, and she was left broken and crying in shame. In the next few days, Aang found The Prince almost constantly in Katara’s arms. He was really good in comforting girls-with-broken-hearts-and-shattered-trust-in-adults.

Aang’s musings were interrupted by The Prince. He plucked at his clothes hard, as if he wanted Aang to follow him. Aang learned his lesson in trusting the little bird’s instincts, so he stood up and went with his chatterbox of a pet, who was somehow worse than Momo, angry and insulting, and who berated him for his extreme fears and self-sabotage. Aang wasn’t sure if he was imagining the stream of insults, or the turtleduck learned to speak in the last few days, like Momo and Appa.

The irate turtleduck led him to a bed out of clouds. Now Aang was sure he was hallucinating again, but then his friends reassured him, and at long last The Prince cuddled up with him, keeping him safe, so he could rest a bit. Aang was asleep in five seconds, his brave little pet guarding his dreams.


	7. What good are you?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko faces his father, then plots in silence.

Zuko knew what his task was since he escaped the palace with Agni’s help weeks ago: guide the Avatar and his friends to the Fire Lord on the day of the eclipse and let them defeat him, while he distracts the guards. But it wasn’t to be. He didn’t suspect that his Father and sister would anticipate the invasion. He hadn't planned for it. He was a failure, a disappointment again.

The day began well, with everybody nervous but in high spirit. They were ready. Zuko too was prepared, clad in armor made by Sokka and Toph with even more spikes on it than on his spirit disguise, and he had little swords fixed on his wings. It was heavy, but it didn’t hinder him at all and as a safety measure every piece had a little latch. He could open and discard everything simply with his beak without help from those two.

He opted to go with Aang, wanting to guide him to the throne room quickly and efficiently. The flight was uneventful, the landing free of risk. Nobody saw them, nobody attacked. Something was wrong. Very very wrong. Where were the guards, the soldiers, or the servants? Everything was darkened and silent like in a grave.

Zuko was frustrated but he knew where to find his Father. Every member of the royal family knew about the secret bunkers. He tugged Aang’s clothes until he focused on him, then waddled resolutely before him, trying to remember which one of the hidden chambers was the Fire Lord’s.

They opened the wrong door. Azula manipulated Aang to fight her and Zuko tried in vain to pull him away, then some earthbenders joined in on Azula’s side. He didn’t understand why they would betray their nation, what would they gain from it, but Aang needed him, so he attacked them.

He wasn’t fast enough. Those earthbenders succeeded in pushing and locking him out of the chamber. He was alone, he was a turtleduck, he didn’t have his bending and he couldn’t go back to Aang! He never felt so helpless before. But he was determined. They came for the Fire Lord, so he was going to find the Fire Lord. He searched more carefully the place and he was lucky for once. One of the doors opened to reveal his Father’s hiding place.

Zuko was face to face with his nightmare fuel. He felt his heart stop for a second, his ears were ringing, his sight narrowed on the Fire Lord’s scowl and his head was strangely empty of all thoughts. He felt himself drowning in fear, but he was a fighter and he let himself rely on his instincts. He gathered up all of his courage, his resentment, his frustration, his anger, and his dread and just exploded. He pinched, cut, tore, scratched, stabbed and kicked his Father where he could, the ankles, the hands, the face, the nose, the eyes, the evil beard…

He came to his senses when he felt the first sun-rays appearing. What had he done?! His Father would kill him. Zuko saw the first moves to generate lightning and he reacted. The flag behind the Fire Lord fell easily and he hid. He opened the latches on his armor and shoved it across the room, he himself clambering in another direction. His Father’s lightning blast melted everything in its path. He breathed in relief: he was safe, thought dead.

He might have failed again but he wasn’t giving up. He was a turtleduck for years, small and almost worthless in a fight against meaner opponents, but he could be useful in this form too. It was time to steal a few firebending scrolls, to spy upon the War Council, to visit Azula’s rooms, and to find a way to be human again.

He knew that Aang and his friends escaped, the servants and the soldiers spoke about it in every corner of the palace. Zuko wasn’t worried. He found them once, he could find them again. But first, he had things to do, rooms to wreck, generals to irritate, servants to charm, scrolls to filch. Then turtleduck or not, he was going to teach the Avatar firebending even if it killed him.


	8. Chaos is my second name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mai and a little turtleduck prank the people in the palace.

Mai wasn’t sure what to think about the cute little turtleduck in front of her. He was quacking softly and blinking up at her innocently, but if the chaos she passed on her way was anything to go by, the little guy was a real trouble-maker, loving to cause disorder and fights between the palace staff.

Hearing the angry voices of some high-ranking aristocrats approaching, she decided to help the bird, lifting him up and pocketing him swiftly. She greeted the men with a bored expression, then denied having seen a vicious and mean-spirited turtleduck. It was the truth, the turtleduck she saw and currently hid was really charming.

She acted politely and demurely like a perfect lady, but in her mind, she was laughing her head off at their disheveled appearance. How was it possible for a tiny turtleduck to manhandle two burly former soldiers in such a way? Those scratches must have hurt and she was certain no seamstress would succeed in repairing their clothes. Maybe letting the little guy continue his antics would be fun.

She heard of him already, of course. In the royal court, nothing remained secret for long. Aristocrats, high-ranking officials, servants, even soldiers loved to gossip. Mai kept quiet and listened.

Azula complained about the growing number of attendants she punished because of their incompetence dealing with a pest. Her rooms were wrecked twice a day despite the traps in it. Random drapes burst inexplicably on fire. There were scrolls missing from the library. In the kitchen, all of the turtleducks were freed causing a ruckus on their way out.

The Fire Lord dismissed or put in prison several of his generals, accusing them of treason when important documents went missing or turned up in trash cans. Some of the generals claimed that they were followed by an invisible foe or that the palace was haunted and refused to set foot in it. They were promptly shipped to an asylum.

The local police had wanted posters of a turtleduck, his crimes including vandalism, thievery, and assault on officers of the law. The people of the capital city were greatly confused and in private very amused.

The palace maids were quite smitten with said turtleduck, feeding him, cuddling with him and whispering secrets in his ears while he preened their hair.

Mai knew that her duty would be reporting the turtleduck, but she was bored and fed up with the arrogance of the people around her. The royal household could do with a little bit of shake-up. She was joining the rebellion. Secretly, of course. In the eyes of her acquaintances she remained disinterested.

It was the ultimate prank. She had access to more places than the little turtleduck, so in the next few days she carried him everywhere. Nobody and nowhere was safe, the chaos increased tenfold. Azula foamed with rage, Ty Lee was bemused by her cheery aura, and the people in the palace began to lose their confidence.

After a week of anarchy the little turtleduck disappeared. He left her a note with a footprint, but Mai felt betrayed. She had fun and she began to love the little guy. She would remember her time with the turtleduck with fondness, but she was the very moment angry. She pocketed the note with trembling hands. Then she straightened up, breathed in, out, and put her mask back on. She was passive. Untouchable. The perfect court lady. She was Mai.


	9. The long way home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko helps his people on the way home.

Zuko knew that his people were suffering from the war, he saw it every day traveling with the Avatar, but he wasn’t prepared for this. It was worse than in that river-town with the polluted water or in the village where Hama lived.

Because of the war there were children without a father or a mother to provide for them. Those children weren’t in school learning or playing, they worked. They worked hard and weren’t paid enough to eat well.

There were families on the streets, who lost their small income when the army seized their animals. There were invalids begging, ex-soldiers who couldn’t work anymore due to their debilitating or incapacitating injuries.

Tax was preposterously high, and there were towns, where bandits rampaged. The people, his people were struggling just to live from day to day.

Zuko seethed in righteous anger. He saw now clear that the Fire Lord abandoned everybody in his quest to rule the world. His Father betrayed his entire nation! And if this happened in the Fire Nation, what was the situation in the rest of the world?

He couldn’t let this continue. They needed to defeat his Father. And where was Uncle Iroh? Was he agreeing with all this? He hoped that this was not true.

He needed to go back to Aang, to bring him the scrolls about firebending, the maps, and the plans he stole from the generals. He pulled the pouch with him from town to town, sometimes on feet, sometimes he jumped on a cart, sometimes he traveled in the pocket of a peasant, who didn’t want to eat him.

That was the worst when people wanted to catch and cook him. He didn’t want to hurt them, but cannibalism was wrong! He was a prince, not an animal! He could not wait to be human again.

So he fought, and fled, and helped where he could. He snuggled up to the crying children, he played with the toddlers, whose parents worked and couldn’t attend to the kids, he attacked the bandits and he helped gather berries and edible roots for the elderly.

He searched for clues about the Avatar or Combustion Man, who tracked them before. Nearing his friends hiding spot, he saw Combustion Man kill a messenger hawk. He followed the man to the woods, on the narrow path back to the hidden Air Temple.

Before the man could attack his friends, his family, he assaulted him from behind. It was cowardly but necessary. Toph noticed them and alerted the rest of the gang. The man was sneaky and tenacious, but together they were better.

The aftermath of the fight was a blur. He was cuddled, caressed, kissed, given from hand to hand, even licked by Momo and Appa. Sokka was dancing in delight, Katara was crying happily, Toph let out whoops of joy and Aang was cuddling him as if his life depended on it. Zuko for once didn’t fight his way out of Aang’s grasp. He was just glad to be home.


	10. A Phoenix born

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to explore some ruins and learn firebending.

Since The Prince came back, Aang had trouble letting him out of his sight. He knew, that the turtleduck wasn’t in immediate danger, but he couldn’t help himself. He lost so much in such a short time. Short for him anyway.

It was a shock to learn that he was frozen for a hundred years, and his friends and family were long dead. He was alone, the last of his kind. He missed the monks and his peers, and first and foremost he missed Monk Gyatso, the only adult, who really helped him. He would know what to do. He would explain patiently what was he doing wrong.

Aang tried, really tried to be the Avatar the world wanted, but he couldn’t. He was afraid. He saw the plans, he knew what the Fire Lord planned for the return of Sozin’s Comet, but he couldn’t move on. He failed once, what if he failed again?

He hadn’t even mastered earthbending, and his firebending was non-existent at this point. He knew the forms, he practiced them with the help of The Prince, but he wasn’t ready to light a fire. He remembered every time Katara’s horror-stricken face and burned hands, and he faltered. The Prince protested loudly each time and encouraged him in his own way, but it wasn't enough. The firebending scrolls were great, but since nobody was there, who could show him how to make fire, or to tell him what was he missing, he just couldn’t do it.

The nights were the worst when he dreamed about dragons, and a nameless, faceless Fire Prince. The dragons always circled him, then engulfed him in flames. And the Fire Prince always waited for him with a flame in his hands, Sozin’s Comet illuminating the background.

One night he told about the dreams the nosy turtleduck, who in reply pulled out a map and poked with his little beak at an island. Since the instinct of the bird was always better than any plan he contrived, he didn’t hesitate to follow the turtleduck. Katara was a bit skeptical but didn't hold them back. All of the gang learned to trust their fiery little pet.

They found some ruins surrounded with active traps. He almost fell in one of them, The Prince leaping gracefully above it. The ruins were beautiful. Aang searched a few, but they didn’t find anything helpful. And that mural was scary, it reminded him of his dreams. He wanted to go back, but The Prince wasn’t having it. He pulled him along to another ruin with a locked door.

Aang was losing his faith, but not his headstrong turtleduck. He vanished for a few minutes, making Aang panic. In the next moment, the doors opened, the little turtleduck waiting for him victoriously. His smugness was almost palpable.

The statues in it were interesting, they even tried the moves, dancing, enjoying themselves. Then they searched for another temple, with other statues or murals about ancient firebending forms. They were on their twelfth expedition, when the Sun Warriors attacked them.

The Prince was feral in his fury, Aang too fought with conviction, the Warriors were unrelenting, but before long they came to a standstill. It was lucky, that Aang had time to explain who he was, and what he wanted. They promised to introduce him to the true masters, but first Aang needed to pass a test.

He was a bit annoyed with them, he hated tests. And that little flame in his hands was frightening, he didn’t want to hurt. But he climbed the stairway up the mountain, The Prince with him all the way. That determined turleduckling gave him more strength, more courage, than most people in his life. Except maybe Katara.

He almost fled, when he saw the masters. Dragons! Real, living dragons! He hoped, they wouldn’t want to eat him or The Prince. But his brave pet leaped, spun, moved with them, so Aang began to move to. They danced together the first ancient firebending form they found in the ruins.

The dragons breathed fire around them. Just like in his dreams. But they weren’t roasted, they were given the gift of firebending, an alive, breathing sun inside them. He stared in wonder at his hands, they held now a luminous little heartbeat. But then The Prince opened his beak and let out a breath of fire.

So, he had a firebender turtleduck. Yes, this was his life now. He wasn’t really surprised, he saw what spirits were capable of. But he couldn’t help, but giggle hysterically, when he thought of the reaction of his friends. Toph would be delighted, Katara maybe distrustful, maybe accepting, but Sokka! He would freak out. Would he faint? Aang couldn’t wait to be back with them. He was really curious.


	11. Possessed?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka feels, that he is the only sane man on their team.

Sokka wasn’t overreacting, thank you very much. And he would come down from the head of the statue, when he wanted, not when they demanded. It was his decision, not Katara’s to make. He didn’t trust his sister anymore, not since she chirped _Adorable!_ to that fire-breathing monster-bird.

And no, he wasn’t fainting, he just played possum for a while to find out what Hellbird intended to do. And that bird was corrupting his family. He wasn’t surprised by Aang, he saw and heard too much spirit mumbo jumbo to be really suspicious, but Toph and Katara?

When he opened his eyes, there was a mock battle between the three of them, where Toph was trying to use the turtleduck as a flamethrower along with her normal bending, cackling wickedly. It was only natural, him being a non-bender and all, that Sokka made a hasty tactical retreat, exercising his war-cry on the way. Then he decided to have a better view of the fight, so he climbed the first statue he saw.

It was just a fortunate side-effect, that the turtleduck couldn’t climb it too, making it safe for him to try and convince the others of the danger that monster represented. That bird from hell wasn’t a normal animal! It was an evil spirit or possessed by an evil spirit, just waiting for them to lower their guard. Then he could roast them and eat them all!

He knew from the beginning, that Hellbird was bad news. That turtleduck was too intelligent, too capable, definitely not an ordinary waterfowl. Fighting soldiers? Teaching sword-play? Escaping the Fire Lord and stealing maps and scrolls? And now firebending? Not normal! Why were his friends so accepting of this nonsense?

If he wanted to get rid of the monster-bird, he needed a foolproof plan. But first, dinner. He had better ideas when he wasn’t starving. Unfortunately, if he wanted to eat, he needed to get off his perch. His evil sister refused to bend up his dinner to him with her magic water.

He was prepared for an attack by the turtleduck, but it never came. He ate quickly, then retreated to his spot on the statue’s head. He wasn’t planning to sleep anyway, and it was easier to keep an eye on his family from there.

He saw them lie down around the fire, the bird nestling himself in his sister’s hair. What an evil mastermind! He took Katara hostage for the night! Sokka shivered in the chilly air. He closed his eyes in frustration just for a second.

The next morning he found himself on the ground. Did he sleep-climb down? Or one of the benders took him down? What about Hellbird? He searched drowsily for his arch-enemy, their truce forgotten. He was sure, all of it was a scam anyway.

He didn’t find the wicked monster in his sister’s hair, nor near Aang. Was he with Toph? Then he felt it, that warm foreign weight on his stomach. He chanced a glance at the lump in his shirt, the turtleduck blinking up at him smugly. He couldn’t help it. He screamed.


	12. Duke it out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toph wants to beat up somebody. Lord Fireworks makes his move before she could do it. This isn’t an obstacle.

Toph was annoyed with Sokka. Oh, it was amusing for a while, how a _manly man,_ like Sokka, was weirded out by a little turtleduck. She even cranked it up, using their resident firebreathing pet spirit as a flamethrower in her battles with Aang and Katara. It was delightfully chaotic. And Sokka’s screams were music for her ears.

But his paranoia grew old after a day or two. _Damn sure_ , Aang’s pet wasn’t a normal animal, they knew it already. But this didn’t mean, he _must be_ a malevolent spirit. He was determined and combative and fiery, but for them, not against them. Did Sokka just forget it?

And to be honest, the little guy could be anything, from a mutant turtleduck to a real phoenix. They never saw one, and if dragons were alive and well, then why not a phoenix? Or it could be a turtleduck-phoenix hybrid, a turtleduck guardian spirit, or even an enchanted prince. Maybe even that missing Fire Prince from Aang’s nightmares. With their track record, everything was possible, even the impossible.

But Sokka was more than clay-brained. He was set on the bird being an evil monster, just because he learned to breathe fire from the dragons.

It was awful to feel the pained heartbeats of the little turtleduck, when he tried to win Sokka over again and again, and that oaf just snubbed him, or screamed, or tried to point it out, how evil it was, what he did.

Yes, right, it was so evil, that he roasted Sokka’s fish when he whined about starving, or that he lit the fire when he moaned about the cold, or that he snuggled up to him when he recalled his father’s capture in the failed invasion.

Toph was so tempted to beat the idiot up, planning how to hurt him good without hurting him too much. She knew, that the others too were fed up with Sokka’s jackassery. She heard Katara scolding and threatening him with bodily harm if he didn’t can it. Maybe they could team up. Katara could assault and restrain him, and then Toph could get down to business, aka the battery part of it.

It was a good plan. But to her disappointment and enjoyment at the same time, Lord Fireworks took the reins. He somehow managed to convince Appa and Momo to help him take Sokka down. When Sokka began again his spiel about evil, man-eating monster birds, Appa simply walked up to him, blew him over, and sat on him.

This alone was amusing enough, but then began the real torture. Momo chittered in his left ear, and tugged on his hair, while the turleduck quacked loudly and angrily in his right ear, then jumped up on his chest and continued the duck equivalent of a rant. Sokka was shrieking, but not even Aang budged. It was clearly their dispute, they weren’t interfering. Aang was even offering her and Katara some dried fruits to snack on, while they watched the show.

After a while Momo joined the watch-party, tired of tousling Sokka’s hair, and later Appa stood up too, leaving the two of them alone to duke out their differences. Sokka too quieted down, just letting the little rage ball on his chest release his pent-up hurt and anger. When the irate turtleduck flopped down with a little huff at the end of his tantrum, Sokka patted awkwardly his fluffy head, apologizing to the bird.

So, this was all fun, and touching and whatnot, but she wasn’t forgetting soon, how upset their little friend was because of Sokka’s wooden-headedness. Sokka didn’t feel the heartbreak he caused with every slur, with every hare-brained comment he made, as Toph could.

Anyway, she could always use Sokka for target practice. Great earthbenders exercised against tactical geniuses too, not just against other benders. She and Sokka had an appointment in like two minutes.

She didn’t even try to wipe the menacing grin off her face.


	13. Oh, Sokka

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka and his emotions. Yes, they exist.

Sokka was feeling restless. As a coping mechanism, he began to look over the maps again. Ever since Hellbird learned to firebend, he was more high-strung, more unsure of himself than before.

He lost his footing when the invasion failed, but he thought, that he was ready to hope again when their lost pet returned. Then that bird went and learned something, that thus far brought them nothing, but pain and loss. Aang was the Avatar, he needed to learn, but not Hellbird.

He knew, that the others realized by now, that their turtleduck wasn’t normal. And maybe running from him and calling him an evil monster-bird wasn’t a good move, but he panicked. Bad things happened when firebending was involved. He lost his mother to firebenders, and he lost his father to the Fire Nation too. Even if the average Fire Nation citizen wasn’t bad, their bending remained dangerous. This was a fact even Jeong Jeong believed.

It made him much more protective of his family, forgetting that the turtleduck was part of their group too. And in his fear, he tried to chase away his little arch-enemy/master/semi-friend. He never thought that Hellbird could be hurt by all of it.

That cute angry rant the other day was proof, that the bird was not an evil, man-eating or calculating monster, but a determined, efficient, and very, very emotional feather-ball, even if he was short-tempered and grumpy most of the time. He could have hurt Sokka, but he didn’t. He just screamed his heart out. Maybe he could live with this kind of supernatural being.

Alone with his thoughts, Sokka could admit to himself, that he wasn’t a good leader. A good leader wouldn’t have panicked, wouldn’t have tried to hurt a member of their family. A good leader thought rationally and planned ahead. A good leader had his people’s back, was trustworthy and honorable.

Sokka knew, he lost all credibility with his childish behavior. And he was tired, so tired of planning, of trying to keep a bunch of overpowered kids alive.

He missed terribly somebody, whom he could trust to keep them safe. An adult. Somebody like his father. If he would have been here, he could have calmed Sokka down or could have explained the situation with something logical and reasonable.

So he went over the maps again and again, trying to find the prison his father could be in. He needed somebody, who knew the Fire Islands.

When Hellbird popped up by his elbow, Sokka was cautiously glad. It seemed, he was fully forgiven. And the turtleduck was his best bet finding his father. He was competent, he found the dragons too. He shuffled the maps nearer, asking for the location of the high-security prisons, where the prisoners of war could be.

The little bird studied the maps for a minute or two, then pointed with his beak at a not so distant spot. The Boiling Rock. Sokka unintentionally began to form plans and contingency plans, his mind racing with hundreds of possibilities.

„What do you say, are you ready to break into prison with me?”

„QUACK!”

That was eager enough. He took it as a yes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted humor, Sokka wanted some angst, we fought, Sokka won. I'm not satisfied, but I didn't want to wait much more to post it. And I'm just as tired as Sokka. Working online is hard.


	14. What do you mean, it's boiling?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hellbird and Sokka make a good team.

Sokka left a letter for the others, not wanting them to panic. He even wrote a note to Aang, ordering him to exercise his firebending forms every time he heard a badgerfrog croak. He made Hellbird sign it with a footprint. If he needed to train, when Hellbird wanted it, then he wasn’t going to let Aang off the hook.

They traveled with a stolen mongoose lizard from a nearby town. Sokka managed to bait her with a little kindness and meat. The local police force must have neglected her because she came willingly enough.

It was one of Sokka’s best decisions. The mongoose lizard was fast and versatile, they arrived in a day to their destination. Sokka was almost sad to let her go, but he knew, he couldn’t keep her. They couldn’t bring her in a prison, it would be suspicious. And it would be cruel to keep her bound, when it wasn’t sure, how much time they needed to break in, then escape.

He stroked the animal’s snout once again, holding his tears back. Miss Sweet Moonshine nuzzled up to him, what made Sokka sniffle. But he couldn’t stall anymore. He released the animal and turned to find a boat to the seemingly lifeless island, that hid the most secure prison of the Fire Nation.

Hellbird was ahead of him. He quacked softly from the left, standing near a little boat, just enough for two, maybe three persons. Sokka could have kissed him, but he refrained from it. He just smiled thankfully at the little turtleduck. Their second truce was a fragile thing, no need to upset it by something rash. Again.

Sokka rowed to the island, then prepared himself for the break-in. Backpack with water, food, and a change of clothes? Check. His sword? Check. Ropes and hooks? Check. Little turtleduck in a pocket? Check. He was ready.

He wasn’t ready. Nobody said that they have to beat a boiling lake. Who knew, that the name Boiling Rock was to be taken literally. Sokka swore, tore his hair a bit (not much, it hurt), then paced up and down the shore, muttering to himself. Their only way in was the gondola guarded by firebenders.

Sokka decided to wait and see, what their daily routine was. In the meantime, he worked with Hellbird on a series of signs and knocks and quacks for better communication. That bird was intelligent, then why not try to talk with him?

By the time he figured out the best way in, they had a basic turtleduck-spirit language down. Sokka was very pleased with himself.

Hellbird tapped a warning. Right. The guards waited for the arrival of a few new guys. If he could mingle with them, it would be his ticket in. He searched the faces of the new prisoners, but his father wasn’t with them.

So he hid his backpack and sword, changed into Fire Nation clothes, pocketed Hellbird again, then stepped into the crowd from behind a rock. The subdued prisoners didn’t even glance at him, and luckily the guards were too preoccupied with talking and laughing.

In the prison he let Hellbird loose. The turtleduck was great at creating chaos everywhere he went, making Sokka’s job so much easier.

While the guards investigated the newly haunted corridors and rooms, Sokka sneaked in the storeroom, and changed into a guard’s clothes. It was the best disguise. Like this, he had access to almost everything. Now he just needed to find his father and break out of the prison.

But first he joined the others, and in an unguided moment rescued Hellbird from his hiding place. Sokka laughed quietly at the mess the turtleduck caused, then pretended to search for the perpetrator. He could admit it now easily, he was wrong regarding Hellbird. And they made a good team.


	15. (Turtle)DuckTales are just fairy tales

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The prison isn't so safe anymore for the guards. We see the happenings in the female guard's POV.

Naoko so far liked her life as a prison guard. She was respected, independent, the pay was good and she didn’t need to fight on the front. She guarded the female prisoners and she considered herself one of the best. She wasn’t ready to lose her job to some prank-loving fool or worse, a full-fledged traitor.

She tuned out her partner’s boasting about his strength and wit and tried to focus on their mission: find the person behind the disturbingly hilarious, but sometimes dangerous pranks. She was pretty sure Akio was lying, when he insisted, it was a turtleduck who caused all of the disturbance. Naoko didn’t even want to believe him ever, she was so disgusted with his behavior.

Akio was one of those people who was a prison guard not because he wanted to do something for the country or for the people here, but because he was a power-hungry coward. His regular partners didn’t trust him, and most of the staff avoided him. He liked bullying the prisoners and playing the big shot when in reality he was just a pitiful man without friends or admirers. Maybe this was why the warden kept him around, despite Naoko reporting him for being abusive. He liked to torture the prisoners too.

The new guy on the other hand was interesting, funny, and way too annoying, but so much like her cousin, that she almost called him _Honey_ once. He was compassionate too. A year or two, and he would be one of the best guards. The prisoners needed more guards who would look at them and see people, not animals without rights. That young man had potential. What was his name again? She couldn’t remember it.

Speaking of the new guy, she saw the looks the warden’s niece gave him. Her eyes held irritation, sadness, and some other emotion she didn’t recognize. It was the most emotional look she saw from her. They sure had a history. Maybe they were exes! That would explain the whispered conversations and how annoyed they were with each other.

Mai was there since two days, and she helped with the search too. Naoko asked her opinion, and she too thought that Akio lied. A turtleduck wouldn’t be able to just dispose of every left boot the guards had or scorch the walls with so much indecent graffiti about the warden. That with the koala-sheep was really mean-spirited, but to be honest, very amusing. Naoko was ashamed of how much she enjoyed these crazy little comics and sentences.

The kitchen was haunted too. Somebody mislabeled their entire salt and sugar supply. The spices were dumped on the floor, making the kitchen staff and those who helped clean up sneeze uncontrollably. Nobody could find the pans or the spoons, but in the flour sacks, they found the boots.

The coolers were malfunctioning too, and one went missing. How or when nobody knew. Sometimes the doors to the cells opened in the middle of the night, the prisoners piling out. Other times there were spooky sounds, scratching, banging, and thumping in the guards’ sleeping quarters. One night there was a fake fire alarm. The guards were increasingly tired, some of them almost dozing off on duty.

The Fire Lord was notified of the events, they were now awaiting his response. But until then she had a mission to accomplish. So she asked guards and prisoners alike, searched the corridors, the prisoners’ cells, the guards’ quarters, the mess hall, the kitchen, every little nook and corner she could think of, to no avail. Her partner was more of a nuisance than a help. Naoko wanted to throttle him. Just a bit. Just a little bit. But she was one of the best, so she endured.

The Fire Lord’s response arrived in the form of the Princess. This was when everything went crazy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. I was/am just so tired. Then the characters didn't want to cooperate, and it was hard to take the dictionary out and translate everything in English, when I didn't even have the strength to think in my native language. I hope, I can finish the next chapter more quickly. Have a nice day!


	16. Operation 1: Get The Hell Out Of Prison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Escape with some help from a friend or two.

Mai was nervous, but it didn’t show on her face. She was adept at hiding her true feelings. She knew, that she fooled Azula once in the palace, and she could do it again. The turtleduck was hiding in Suki’s blouse, and Sokka wore a helmet. If they played it right, they could get away with the pranks and the undetected escape attempt.

Her so-called friend arrived with Ty Lee, who threw herself at Mai with a squeal. Azula just nodded at her, then ordered every man and woman, prisoner or guard in the courtyard. She made a speech about traitors, enemies of the Fire Lord, and rewards and punishments.

But Suki spat publicly in Azula’s face. Then the turtleduck decided to defend her from the princess’ fire, attaching himself first to Azula’s finger, then to her topknot. Those who dared to laugh and jeer at the display were quickly subdued by the more aggressive guards, until the Water Tribe boy, Sokka, and his father acted out _Operation 15: Make The Prisoners Fight Back And Believe The Guards Can Lose Too_.

It was a very dramatic performance, almost on a par with the Ember Island Players’ delivery of any play. Sokka made some very authentic dying noises, and Hakoda’s growl was… original. But it did the trick, the irritated inmates fought back. The hungry and sufficiently exhausted guards didn’t have a chance against them.

So the prisoners were currently rioting. Azula was chasing the turtleduck, who stole her hairpin, Ty Lee was cheering for her, but didn’t move a finger to help her, and Mai…

Mai knew that she shouldn’t find this amusing, but there she was, stifling the chuckle threatening to escape. After all, she was the princess’ always bored and impassive friend. And at this point laughing at Azula would equal an immediate death sentence.

It was fun to watch her flounder knowing that she had a part in it. Helping the little turtleduck and his companion, even if he was Azula’s enemy, made Mai feel almost free.

Mai was a caged bird. When Azula appeared in Omashu after years of not seeing each other, she thought, that maybe her friend would free her from her gilded cage. But no, she was clipping her wings too.

Azula wanted loyalty only to her, making Mai choose between her and her beloved little brother. Mai knew what was expected from her, but at that moment she hated Azula, and since then she couldn’t let go of her resentment. They were childhood friends, but this friendship wasn’t based on love and trust anymore. Azula wanted absolute control over Mai, and in the process made Mai hate herself too.

Mai didn’t want to be just a marionette. She wanted to have an impact on her surroundings, she wanted to feel alive, she wanted to have a choice, and the little turtleduck and his friends gave this to her. This was why she helped them instead of reporting them to her uncle. This was why she didn’t help Azula in her quest to fry the turtleduck.

So she stood back and enjoyed Azula's struggle and mad dash in the mass of fighting people, occasionally redirecting a flying boot or helmet with her knives. Ty Lee stood near her, sometimes chi-blocking the more daring prisoners, but mostly just cooed at the cute turtleduck and commented on Azula’s liveliness. She understood. She was a caged bird too. They weren’t rebelling per se, but some subtle revenge never hurt.

Then Azula was attempting to create lightning and the little bird seemed helpless and Mai didn’t think. Her knives jarred Azula’s hands, making the princess even more furious. Sokka came to her rescue, with _Operation 32: Give The Princess A Concussion_ , knocking her out with his helmet.

Afterwards he grabbed her hand and they were running towards the gondolas, Ty Lee hot on their heels. Suki, Hakoda, and the turtleduck was already there with her bound and gagged uncle. So _Operation 7: Kidnap The Warden And Use The Gondola To Escape_ was in play, with Mai added to the picture.

Sokka practically pushed her into the gondola, then used the turtleduck as a flamethrower to scare Ty Lee and the guards off. Suki dragged her uncle on board, Hakoda broke the lever and they were off. Once Mai recovered, she threw her knives at everybody who neared the lever or the cables. She betrayed Azula for a turtleduck, if she was apprehended, she was dead or worse.

Ty Lee’s dismayed face almost made her rethink her choice, but then Azula appeared again, raving mad, preparing to throw lightning at them. But she was saved. Ty Lee made her choice too. Then she was running to them, accepting Mai’s extended hand, leaving a paralyzed Azula behind.


	17. To trust or not to trust?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara can’t and won’t trust their new team members until they proved themselves. Then she has a choice to make.

Aang was overjoyed with the arrival of Sokka and the new additions to the team. Katara not so much. She was mad at Sokka for risking his life, glad, that Dad and Suki were safe and sound, and wary of the Fire Nation girls. They fought them more than once, they were dangerous and most importantly, Azula’s friends. They could betray them anytime.

She couldn’t sleep with them around, so she kept vigil with Sugargrumps in her arms. The knife girl, Mai, was awake too, gazing with half-lidded eyes now and then at Sokka or at the other Fire Nation escapee, Ty Lee. Katara hoped, she wasn’t about to attack her brother. She readied her water skin, uncorking it, but Mai just sighed, then shut her eyes. After a while, her breathing evened out too.

It seemed, they were safe for now, but Katara’s instincts screamed danger. So she stayed awake.

Katara gazed in the fire, petting the slumbering turtleduck. He was something special. Maybe really a spirit. A guardian spirit. She was glad, he was with them, helping, protecting her family.

Sokka explained the language they came up with Sugargrumps, and he vouched for the girls. _Friends._ But she couldn’t trust them. Not until they proved to be their allies and not Azula’s lackeys.

It was a good thing she kept vigil that night. She noticed the approaching war balloon and roused the others. They were prepared for Azula’s attack, but something was off with the princess. She didn’t target Aang, no, she was attacking Sugargrumps and the Fire Nation girls.

Katara’s heart almost stopped seeing Sugargrumps leaping at Azula. Mai and Ty Lee jumped onto the war balloon too. Katara would have left them to it, but the little turleduck was there, so she joined the fight too.

With her water-whips and coating the roof of the balloon with ice she pushed Azula off. But of course, she managed to save herself, the princess was resourceful and persistent. She definitely would be back. But she could slice the war balloon up, making Azula’s job much more difficult.

Aang and the others were waiting for her on the back of Appa once she was done. Then they were flying away in search of another spot to hid.

The day dragged and dragged on. The others celebrated their victory, but Katara was tired and angry. She knew, that they weren’t out of danger. Not until they defeated the princess permanently. Maybe she was unfair, but she blamed Mai and Ty Lee for the attack. They betrayed Azula and led her to them. She lost so much already, she didn’t want to lose another family member to the Fire Nation.

That night she blew up at them, but they weren’t offended. Ty Lee mentioned something about her aura and proposed to beat some of the soldiers up. Mai asked if she wanted to target somebody from the raids on her homeland. Of course, she knew about that.

Toph heard the word _Beat up_ , and volunteered to help. She was really enthusiastic about it. Seeing Dad's and Sokka’s concern, Suki offered to come too. They would be enough to defeat any Fire Nation soldier, and if Mai and Ty Lee proved to be liars, then Katara would have help.

Dad didn't want to let her go and wreak havoc or take revenge on the enemy, but Katara had a target in mind since the death of her mother, so she agreed to the plan. She was independent, taking care of the others since her childhood. She was a master waterbender. She didn't let Dad stop her, nor Aang or her brother. They didn't understand her motives, she didn't even expect them to do. They didn't see what she saw. They didn't feel what she felt. They didn’t experience the same hurt, self-blame, and expectations she did. This was something she wanted, no, needed to do.

So she asked her Dad to look after Aang and Sokka until they come back. This was a girls’ matter, she didn’t need the boys underfoot.

Sugargrumps was the only exception. She took the little turtleduck with her for emotional support.

Then the hunt was on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not to forget: Sugargrumps/ Hellbird/ The Prince/ Lord Fireworks are one and the same turtleduck, our Zuko. The Gaang just can't agree on his name.
> 
> If it wasn't clear, because he was preoccupied being a turtleduck, Zuko didn't chase the Gaang. Zhao and Azula did. This caused enough changes, that now the rest of the children from the show, Theo, Haru and The Duke aren't with the Gaang, nor Chit Sang is here.
> 
> Have a nice day!


	18. Girls on the warpath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls are ready to kick everybody where it hurts. Afterward, they can relax.

The girls were scarily effective when working together. The Fire Nation fleet never had any chance against them. Katara traumatized the Southern Raiders with her first wave, attacking them like a vengeful spirit, then Toph mangled the ships beyond recognition. Suki, Mai, and Ty Lee rendered the frightened soldiers helpless, knocking them out, pinning them to every available surface, or blocking their chi.

Zuko, being the emotional support he clearly was this time, kept an eye on Katara. She was so angry, so hurt. The girls knew this too. Ty Lee even made a remark on her unusually dark aura.

So Zuko was with her, and every time he saw her trying to bloodbend, he distracted her either with attacking the soldier first or with pulling at her clothes. He remembered how shattered she was after learning that technique. He didn’t want to see her hate herself again.

With Toph on the ship, the commander was quickly captured, his armor serving as an inescapable trap. Toph’s ability to sense heartbeats confirmed what Katara realized. He wasn’t the man responsible for her mother’s death.

Suki quickly persuaded him to reveal the identity of the previous commander. The girls didn’t release him. His soldiers were alive, they could cut him out of his armor.

The flight to Yon Rha’s home wasn’t so tense anymore. The girls talked quietly about the fight, then about what the Fire Nation did to the world, and then somehow Katara opened up, telling the story of her mother’s bravery.

Katara’s tale ended with ugly tears from Ty Lee, a group hug, and a swear to avenge her, while Zuko scrambled to catch with his beak Appa’s forgotten reins and to steer him in the right direction. It wasn’t easy, but he managed.

The meeting with Yon Rha was short and to the point. The girls let Katara do the talking, the raging, the threatening, offering quiet support, and sometimes a knife or two through all. Zuko was so proud of them, most of all of Katara for being able to let him go. For being able to rise above her rage and grief, even if she never would forgive and forget.

But Yon Rha was a dishonorable man, and he tried to firebend at their back. Fortunately, Toph was ready and she buried him in the mud up to the neck, constricting him, threatening to suffocate him. Zuko was angry enough to scratch his face up. Mai used his topknot as target practice. Suki told him all about the Unagi’s diet in gory detail. Ty Lee chi blocked some of his facial muscles making him grimace without meaning to, and Katara played with some ice daggers, melting them in the last moment. They didn’t kill or maim permanently the ex-commander, but they made sure he lived in constant fear for his life.

Then they went to celebrate. They found a party with a lot of guests and a lot of food. They took more than one plate with them to the beach, where the girls at last relaxed, some of them going to swim, some of them just laying in the sand.

Zuko was enjoying himself. The job was done, and the girls all took turns to spoil him a bit, to pet him, to speak to him, to give him some of his favorite food. If he wanted to be honest, he felt a bit embarrassed, but positive attention from them was better than the alternative. This group of girls was scary.


	19. Think outside the box

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We see what the boys did while the girls and The Prince were gone. And we maybe have a solution to Aang's pesky problem.

Aang didn’t know what to expect with Chief Hakoda on the team, but it wasn’t this. He was gripping the boomerang harder, and let the man adjust his posture before he was asked to try throwing it again without airbending. And again. And again, until he could throw it, hit the target, and catch it without knocking himself out in the process. Sokka was a great help too, cheering him on and explaining the finer points.

He was unsure if this was the right thing to do, to learn how to handle a weapon, but Chief Hakoda insisted. He said he learned precision, tactics and how to think outside the box using it. It wasn’t necessarily deathly but could be a game-changer in a life-threatening situation, where he couldn’t rely on bending. He saw that already with Combustion Man, so he didn’t object anymore. He learned.

They insisted on him continuing his firebending training too. Chief Hakoda studied the scrolls The Prince gave him and managed to explain the little differences in these froms, the posture, the angle of the arms and legs. He trained with him, copying the moves.

The Dancing Dragon and other forms he learned had now more power, more control in them. He was less and less afraid of hurting anybody with his firebending without meaning too. The Prince was a great teacher, but it was good to hear actual words as corrections and not being pecked or quacked at disapprovingly.

At night they told stories from their respective cultures. Aang was delighted by the tales about the stars and the polar lights. In exchange, he spoke about the winds and the clouds, how they helped the airbenders fly and be free. He missed them, he grieved for them even now, but it was easier to think and speak about them now. He welcomed Chief Hakoda’s hand on his back though.

He was glad the Chief was with them. His calm presence, his kind advice helped him in a way his children couldn’t. It was good to have an adult with them who knew what they needed to do. Who knew how to be reliable.

Aang saw the relief on Sokka’s face too. He must have been exhausted being the oldest in the group and trying to keep them on track. He could now put that responsibility on an actual adult’s shoulder.

When the girls came back, it was Chief Hakoda who asked them first about their adventure, who listened to them and appreciated all of their part in it. It was him who offered them a warm meal afterward. It was him who made them feel safe and cared for.

Aang just felt relieved and so proud. He was afraid for Katara. She grew up in war, she was taught to survive. She learned that sometimes killing the opponent was necessary. But Katara was strong enough to resist the bloodlust and to accept her grief. To let go of the want of revenge.

He could understand the need for revenge, he felt it for a moment too when he saw his burned down home and all those skeletons. It was a scary feeling, something dark and twisted, something so alien to him. He was a monk, he was taught that all life was sacred. He was the Avatar, who needed to bring balance to the world. And he almost lost himself to his grief and pain. He almost destroyed his friends because of it.

For a while, he was afraid of himself. Of the Avatar state. He was almost glad that he couldn’t access it anymore, even if he needed it for defeating the Fire Lord.

He would find another way. He wasn’t ready but he was closer to mastering the four elements. He learned from non-benders too. As proof, he had a new boomerang in his bag.

He saw again and again that non-benders were dangerous. They didn’t rely on any element. He thought about Sokka’s creativity on the field. About Suki’s tenacity. About Mai’s precision with her knives. About Ty Lee and her chi blocking moves, and how she used it to save his friends from Azula.

That was it. _Chi blocking_. If it could be more permanent, rendering Fire Lord Ozai unable to bend anymore, then he would be defeated but his life could be spared. It could work.

There was a lull in the conversation when he asked Ty Lee to teach him, then she was in his arms, squealing, almost dragging him off for a quick demonstration. Chief Hakoda put a stop to it, pointing out that it was late. Then he asked them that in the morning they move again, fearing another attack.

Mai and Ty Lee proposed that they move to Ember Island, in the abandoned royal summer house. It was actually a good plan. And for some reason, The Prince who until now sat quietly in Katara's lap became really excited, almost vibrating out of his shell. As if he knew something the others didn’t. Aang had a feeling it would be much more interesting being there than they imagined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aang wanted some angst. And Hakoda wanted to be appreciated.  
> Have a nice day!


	20. Actor on the loose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daily routine on Ember Island. Then Zuko joins the actors for a while.

Being on Ember Island made Zuko nostalgic. They were currently in the beach house of Mai’s family, in a hidden part of the island. The house was neglected and gloomy. Obviously, nobody used it in years. Zuko was curious, what could have happened with the royal family’s beach house, but he was busy teaching Aang firebending. He would have time later to go explore it. For now, they had a routine to follow every day.

Zuko was almost pleased with Aang’s progress. He wasn’t a master of firebending, but he was much closer to it than he thought. Hakoda’s presence helped the boy immensely. When Zuko couldn’t explain what to do differently, as a warrior used to attack moves from Fire Nation soldiers Hakoda could demonstrate it and correct it easily.

Aang was advancing in Ty Lee’s lessons too. Zuko was present on all of them to make sure everything went well, but Ty Lee was a patient and fun teacher. They often had competitions in acrobatics or they played tag, where they needed to chi-block a predefined part of the body to win.

Ty Lee showed Aang every pressure point, even the forbidden ones. That made Aang moody for a while, but he learned them too. The only thing he refused to learn was how to kill with it.

Ty Lee talked with Aang after these lessons about auras, chakras, and blocks on them, and what could be done to unblock them. She even massaged Aang’s back a few times using various pressure points to help with the flow of his chi. Zuko didn’t understand half of it, but Aang always stepped lighter after those sessions, so he made sure to cuddle with Ty Lee more as a thank you.

He cuddled with Mai too. She saved him from Azula, she deserved the preening of her hair and the turtleduck kisses on her cheek. It always made her smile a bit. The only downside was, that she called him Hellbird. He would have preferred Toph’s Lord Fireworks or Aang’s The Prince.

Their routine was broken by an outing to the local theater. Sokka and Suki found a play about their group and they wanted to see it. Zuko was skeptical, the Ember Island Players butchered _Love Amongst the Dragons_ every year, and he doubted they got much better. But he didn’t oppose it. He was curious, what his family did before he found them.

Of course, he was disappointed in the play. The actors were either ridiculous or flat, the happenings exaggerated, making Zhao and Azula look classy and successful, and the team to look foolish. Suki didn’t even have any lines. At a given point Aang stormed out. Katara tried to go after him, but Hakoda was quicker to rise. Luckily he got him back much calmer than before.

In the end, Sokka and Suki got backstage with the actors. Zuko followed them. He wanted to make sure that his portrayal was more accurate. If not, he was a good actor, he could replace anybody.

Zuko watched the play with growing horror. He wasn’t present even as a puppet. But he was with the team since they arrived at the Fire Islands! Zuko was more and more irritated until he just couldn’t hold himself back. He joined in the invasion scene, but the actors tried to chase him out making everything more chaotic. Zuko escaped them, then climbed the ladder to the bridge above the stage. He grabbed with his beak a rope and used it to descend, disturbing the stage set and dragging everything down on the top of the monologizing Ozai. When Azula grabbed a stick to attack him, he attacked back. He wouldn’t wait for Azula to beat him.

After every actor and actress got back on stage to try and capture him, he left the pandemonium and used the backdoor to run back to his friends who were ready to leave. He traveled back to the beach house in Sokka’s palm basking in the team’s praise for his obvious talent in acting. At least his friends appreciated his performance.


	21. Who is this?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prince Turtleduck steals a picture and causes a town-wide prank war.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. I didn't have the time nor the motivation to work on my multi-chaptered stories for a while. I was just too tired. Then the point of view always changed because it didn't work until I found Toph. I hope you enjoy chaos and adults making a fool of themselves.

All the townspeople told the tale of the mischief-maker turtleduck differently. Some of them were sure that the turtleduck was a rebel, hence the wrecking of the play and the general disorder his appearance meant for the town. He was a real menace. Just the other day he broke into the royal beach house and dragged a precious picture of the royal family through the streets. He even disturbed some teenagers who then chased him around shouting and being a menace themselves. They debated if the turtleduck should be captured and locked up in a cage or should be simply eaten.

Others swore he was just a ridiculously spoiled but very cute pet, and his presence made the play better and the town more lively. They found it cute when the other day he dragged a much bigger picture than him away from that dilapidated house the royal family almost never used. They enjoyed how some teenagers chased him through the marketplace, yelling and flailing, just to return with the turtleduck safely in their arms. Those teens and their little pet sure were spirited. It made them remember their own childhood and the mischief they caused.

The two fractions were currently at war. Neighbors against neighbors, brothers against brothers. The kids were in for the chaos and the comedy the adults caused. They savored the feeling of superiority when the adults turned to them for advice on how to make the best waterbombs or paid them to pelt fish at their annoying second cousin.

Toph enjoyed the chaos their presence caused just like the kids in the town. It was entertaining how adults could become so childish and petty over a presumed animal. But she knew much more. Lord Fireworks wasn’t just a pet. Just the other day he dragged a picture to them with the royal family on it. Katara described it to her. Fire Lord Ozai, a pretty lady, little Azula, and a boy.

Sokka thought it was for their benefit, to know how many people they needed to defeat, but no. Their turtleduck proceeded to tap one of the figures repeatedly. Sokka didn’t realize at first that the tapping translated as _me_. _Me_. But Toph knew that rhythm. They learned Sokka’s and Lord Fireworks’ makeshift language after they came back from the Boiling Rock.

Toph was already on the floor howling with laughter when the others realized what the turtleduck tried to say. If he wasn’t the pretty lady, then he really was that missing Fire Prince from Aang’s nightmares. Aang’s first reaction was denial, then sulking. He should have known, the signs were all there. But he ignored those, just like the rest of them.

Sokka’s was something between terror and vindication, with a short period of freezing on the spot clutching his boomerang and staring at the turtleduck. Toph was sure he wasn’t even breathing. He began to say something about enemy birds, but then cut himself off. Toph just knew his brain went overdrive.

Mai was happy for once and Ty Lee was cheering. Very loudly. It hurt her ears.

But what hurt her ears the most were Katara’s and Suki’s outraged yells. As Toph learned from them, their little troublemaker hid or slept in their blouse more than once. They chased after the already fleeing turtleduck threatening him with bodily harm if he doesn’t stop. Mai and Ty Lee chased after them to put a stop to killing their missing childhood friend. Sokka and Aang chased the girls and the turtleduck out of concern. Would they blow their cover in their anger? Toph chased after them for the chaos all of this caused.

They left a dumbfounded Hakoda alone in the courtyard. Toph was sure he would catch up to them eventually, but she didn’t want to be left out of the action so she concentrated on her friends. Yelling, flailing, overturned baskets and people almost trampled down? Check, check and check. Their gang was the best.

After a while, Katara caught the fleeing turtleduck in one of her water globes. Luckily she was smart enough not to make them before Fire Nation citizens. Then Lord Fireworks was subjected to more yelling from Suki and Katara, a stern talking-to from Sokka, some apologies from Aang for not knowing he needed help, some dancing around them from Ty Lee who dragged a reluctant Mai along on it, and some petting and cuddling from all of them.

But it was Toph who lifted him up in her arms and marched back with him to the beach house caressing him on his head. It was Toph who reassured him, that Fire Prince or not, he was her troublemaker buddy and a member of her family. But he needed a new nickname. Maybe Prince Turtleduck? Or was Lord Fireworks better after all? She was unsure, but she had time to figure it out.


End file.
